The Georgia General Assembly convened this week for legislative days 32 through 35. Legislators will return to the Capitol next week for Legislative Days 36 through 39. Sine Die, the last day of session is Monday, April 4.
The Senate passed the State Fiscal Year 2023 Budget, HB 911, an estimated $30 billion budget that would fund state agencies from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. More than $3.7 million in additional funding would go towards the state’s Department of Economic Development to support the state’s tourism industry. Here is a list of highlights to the FY23 Budget.
The Gwinnett Chamber joined the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Council For Quality Growth, among others, as supporters for an $100,000 budget increase to the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, which has not seen a budget increase since 2004. The Water Planning District implements comprehensive regional water management plans to the 15 metro Atlanta counties. This additional funding is vital, in light of the recent Supreme Court “Water Wars” victory, for the continued support for the state’s economic development, environment, and quality of life.
Bill Tracking (*indicates newly added to list)
HB 78 Administrative Services, Department of; create Division of Supplier Diversity
Status: 1/26/2021 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 385 Teachers Retirement System of Georgia; employ beneficiaries; permit public school systems
Status: 3/22/2022 – Senate Passed/Adopted 50-1. House Passed/Adopted by Substitute 169-0.
HB 389 Employment security; change definition of employment to include services performed by an individual for wages
Status: 3/3/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Insurance and Labor Committee. House Passed 162-6.
HB 587 Georgia Economic Recovery Act of 2021; enact
Status: 1/10/2022 – Recommitted to Senate Finance Committee. House Passed 157-14.
HB 835 Ad valorem tax; contracts between a county and a municipality for the tax commissioners to prepare the municipal tax digests and collect municipal taxes are not subject to approval of the tax commissioner; provide
Status: 1/10/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 855 Workers’ compensation; coverage for first responders for post-traumatic stress disorder arising in the course of employment; provide
Status: 1/24/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 865 Labor and industrial relations; professional employer organizations; provisions
Status: 1/14/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 866 Labor and industrial relations; employers to provide workers’ compensation to certain persons; require
Status: 1/14/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 867 Truth in Prescription Pricing for Patients Act; enact
Status: 2/7/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. House voted 166-1.
HB 872 Gwinnett County; Board of Education; revise district boundaries
Status: 2/17/2022 – Signed by Governor. House vote 148-7. Senate vote 49-0.
HB 873 Gwinnett County; Board of Commissioners; revise district boundaries
Status: 2/17/2022 – Signed by Governor. House vote 96-70. Senate vote 33-22.
HB 884 Professions and businesses; expedited licenses for military spouses; provisions
Status: 3/11/2022 –Senate Read and Referred to Senate Committee on Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security. House Passed/Adopted by Substitute 164-0.
HB 920 Income tax; revise tax credit for certain investments to be limited to investments in entrepreneurship programs, centers, and initiatives
Status: 1/25/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 926 Labor and industrial relations; employers to provide certain documentation when compensating employees; require
Status: 1/25/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 932 Education; noncitizen students with certain refugee, special immigrant, or humanitarian parole status under federal law are classified as in-state for tuition purposes; provide
Status: 1/25/2022 – House Second Readers. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 934 Sales and use tax; special district mass transportation
Status: 3/15/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Finance Committee. House Passed 150-8.
HB 961 Torts; authorize apportionment of damages in single-defendant lawsuits; provide for evidence of fault of nonparties
Status: 3/3/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. House passed 168-0.
HB 1013 Mental Health Parity Act; enact
Status: 3/9/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Health and Human Services Committee. House Passed/Adopted by Substitute 169-3.
HB 1037 Georgia Peer Workforce Navigator Pilot Program Act; enact
Status: 2/1/2022 – House Second Readers assigned to House Industry and Labor Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 1044 Local government; creation of regional development authorities; provide
Status: 2/17/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Economic Development and Tourism Committee. Passed out of the House 165-0.
HB 1058 Income tax; affiliated corporations file separate or consolidated returns; provisions
Status: 3/4/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Finance Committee. House Passed 163-0.
HB 1091 Torts; liability of owners and occupiers of land; provisions
Status: 2/2/2022 – House Second Readers assigned to House Judiciary Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 1093 Local government; residential dwellings; prohibit certain use restrictions
Status: 2/2/2022 – House Second Readers assigned to House Judiciary Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 1152 Fair Business Practices Act of 1975; require merchants to accept cash for purchases
Status: 2/3/2022 – House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee Favorably Reported by Substitute. Did not pass Crossover Day
HB 1187 Sales and use tax; exemption for certain high-technology data center equipment; extend sunset
Status: 3/16/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Finance Committee. House Passed/Adopted by Substitute 153-14
HB 1291 Sales and use tax; exemption for sale or lease of computer equipment of high-technology companies; revise spending threshold and extend sunset date
Status: 3/16/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Finance Committee. House Passed/Adopted by Substitute 150-17
HB 1322 Public utilities and public transportation; deployment of electric vehicle charging equipment; provide
Status: 3/9/2022 – House Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications Committee Favorably Reported by Substitute. Did not pass Crossover Day
HR 579 Georgia Commission on Sustainability and Economic Opportunity; create
Status: 2/8/2022 – House Small Business Development Committee Favorably Reported by Substitute
HR 627 House Study Committee on Bureaucratic Hindrances to Businesses; create
Status: 2/8/2022 – House Small Business Development Committee Favorably Reported by Substitute
SB 52 Selling and Other Trade Practices; legislative findings; standards for cybersecurity programs to protect businesses from liability; provide
Status: 2/22/2021 – House Second Readers. Senate Passed/Adopted by Substitute 31-18.
SB 257 Georgia Crime Information Center; criminal history record restrictions for certain persons cited with or convicted of certain criminal offenses; provide
Status: 2/10/2022 – House Second Readers. Senate Passed/Adopted by Substitute 48-3.
SB 329 Joint Tort-Feasors; apportionment of awards of damages among one or more persons in certain actions; provide
Status: 1/12/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
SB 331 “Protecting Georgia Businesses and Workers Act”; enact
Status: 3/22/2022 – House Passed/Adopted 99-67. Senate Passed/Adopted by Substitute 31-21.
SB 350 Elections; local legislation for nonpartisan elections for any county offices; authorize the General Assembly
Status: 1/25/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Ethics Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
SB 363 “Fair Business Practices Act of 1975,”; class action suits and for damages for violating the requirements for solicitations for corporate filings; provide
Status: 3/23/2022 – House Judiciary Committee Favorably Reported. Senate voted 51-0
SB 369 Board of Education of Gwinnett County; future elections for members of the board of education shall be nonpartisan; provide
Status: 2/21/2022 – Signed by Governor. House vote 95-61. Senate vote 32-21
SB 379 State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia; establish a program to promote the creation and expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in the state; provide
Status: 3/11/2022 – House Second Readers. Senate Passed by Substitute – 42-4
SB 393 ‘Common Carrier Non-Discrimination Act’; enact
Status: 3/11/2022 – House Second Readers. Senate Passed/Adopted by Substitute 33-21.
SB 394 “Georgia Computer Data Privacy Act”; enact
Status: 1/27/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Science and Technology Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
SB 421 ‘Georgia Utility Rate Reduction Act (GURRA)’; enact
Status: 3/9/2022 – Senate Read Second Time. Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities Favorably Reported by Substitute. Did not pass Crossover Day
SB 438 Contracts; certain provisions relating to retainage of progress payments; change
Status: 3/22/2022 – House Judiciary Committee Favorably Reported. Senate Passed/Adopted 52-0.
SB 460 Education; noncitizen students who have received a grant of deferred action for childhood arrivals; qualify for in-state classification; may be extended same consideration as citizens of the United States
Status: 2/7/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
SB 492 Public Utilities and Transportation; the deployment of electric vehicle charging equipment; provide
Status: 2/11/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
SB 597 Department of Administrative Services; provide for definitions; certification of certain business enterprises; provide
Status: 3/4/2022 – Senate Read and Referred to Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. Did not pass Crossover Day
SR 463 Joint Study Committee on the Electrification of Transportation; create
Status: 3/17/2022 – House Second Readers. Senate Passed/Adopted 53-0